Collapsible tube enameling machine



Feb. 15, 1938.

W. PRUSSING COLLAPSIBLE TUBEENAMELING MACHINE Filed April 12', 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR W/JL 7'51? PRUSS/NG Feb; 15, 1935.. w. PRUSSING 2,10%,443

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE ENAMELING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV ENTOR mu TEA muss/Ala Feb. 15, 1938. W. Pussmca I 3 COLLAP-SIBLE TUBE ENAMELING MACHINE 1 Filed April 12, 1934 3 Shets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR W41. 75/? PRUSSl/VG BY j Patented Feb. 15, 1938 :UNITED STATES Lind-A43 smear attics COLLAPSIBLE TUBE ENAMELENG MACHINE Application April 12, 1934, Serial No. 720,170

Claims.

This invention relates to machines for enameling and printing upon thin metal collapsible tubes such as those used to hold shaving cream, face cream, tooth paste and the like.

Since tubes of this type are easily dented or otherwise damaged, it is desirable to performjas manyoperations thereon as possible, automatically; to avoid the manual handling of the tubes which results in the greatest factor of expense, damage and waste. 1

My invention contemplates the provision of a single machine adapted to enamel or varnish one part of a collapsible tube with one color of enamel or coating and while such coating is still wet to varnish or enamel another part of the same tube with a different color or coating, whereby the tube is prepared for printing, it being understood that satisfactory printing cannot be done directly upon the tube.

One object of my invention is to apply at different stations in the same machine, separate coatings of enamel cr varnish to different areas of a collapsible tube. Another object of my invention is to adjust the enamel applying roller'or means in and out of contact with the collapsible tube or toward and from the replaceable mandrel which supports the tube to suit different sizes of collapsible tubes, and to make such adjustment to vary the thickness of the coating. Applied to a specific case, my invention provides in a single machine, means for applying enamel of one color to one part of a collapsible tube and while the first coating is still wet, applying at a different station varnish or enamel of a different color to another part of the tube, thereby applying in one machineoperation two different or separate coatings to diiferent parts or areas of the collapsible tube. The machine is adapted to space, abut or overlapsuch separate coatings as desired.

"In the specific embodiment of my invention as herein disclosed, the m'achine applies a coating of enamel of selected color to the surface of approximately half of the tube and an abutting but not overlapping coating of clear varnish to the remaining surface of the tube. In this instance, the purpose of the varnish is to form a coating upon'which a printing operation may be performed thereafter. Such printing may be of a still diiferent color and may be applied in a separate operation to either or both of the coatings applied by my enameling machine, thus providing automatically, a three-color process in fewer machine steps than has heretofore been accomplished.

In the specific embodiment of my invention herein disclosed, an intermittently moving mechanism brings the collapsible tube to be coated with enamel or varnish into contact with a continuously rotating Varnish-applying roller of less length than the length of the collapsible tube. The varnish applying roller rotates the tube which is mounted on a rotatable mandrel and applies a coating of varnish to about half the length of the tube. The tube is then brought by the intermittently moving mechanism to another station' where the remaining length of the tube is brought into contact with a continuously rotating enamel applying roller rotates the tube and applies enamel to such-remaining length of the tube, abutting the coating of varnish previously applied by the varnish applying roller.

My invention further contemplates removing the enameled and varnished tube from the multicolor enameling machine, advancing and drying the wet enameled tube, then re-mounting the. tube upon a printing machine which prints upon the surfaces of the enamel coatings previously-applied by my multi-color enameling machine, and then drying the printed tube. Such printing step of my process may be performed partly according to the disclosure in connection' with Fig. 1 of my Patent No. 1,947,171, granted February 13th, 1934.

The various objects of my invention will. be 3:

clear from the description which follows, and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of my collapsible tube enameling machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the adjustable mechanism for the enamel or varnish applying roller of the 'enameling machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

'Fig. 4 is a top plan View of tube coating mechanism showing diagrammatically the various means assembled in their cooperative relation for automatically enameling, transferring, drying and printing.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tube in various stages of the operation, tube 5a showing the tube in the first stage, tube 52) showing the tube in the second stage, and tube 50 showing the finished tube.

In that practical embodiment of my invention which I have illustrated by Way of'example, and referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a collapsible tube enameling machine which is provided with a main drive shaft H journalled in the frame Hi and driven. from a pulley i i. A turret carrying a plurality of horizontally and rotatably mounted tube-receiving mandrels i8, is intermittently moved by the main power shaft if by means of a link or connecting rod i7 pivoted at E3 to a plate l9 secured to the main shaft i. It will be understood that the mandrels iii are replaceable by larger or smaller mandrels when tubes of a different size are to be coated, in a manner well known in the art. The connecting link ii is connected by the pivot 28 to a pawl carrier 2|. A pawl 22, pivoted at 23 to the pawl carrier 2|, engages the ratchet wheel 23 operatively secured to and mounted co-axially with the turret |5.

Accordingly, the mandrels I8 are intermittently moved from station to station in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. The shaft carrying the turret i5 and the main drive shaft H are rotatably supported by the frame iii of the machine.

A continuously rotating varnislnapplying roller 3| is driven by intermediate mechanism from the main shaft ii. Said mechanism is so designed as to permit adjustment of the roller 35 toward and from the mandrel it when coating of larger or smaller tubes is to be done. The intermediate mechanism therefore includes a sprocket 32 mounted upon the main shaft l i and driving the sprocket 33 by means of a chain 34 running loosely over an idler The shaft 25, carrying the sprocket 33 at one end and the gear Gi at its other end, is rotatably mounted in the sleeve 38 extending from the swingable sprocket-adjusting arm 36. Said arm is pivoted to the frame H] as at 3?, whereby its weight together with weight of the parts carried thereby is sufiicient to maintain the sprocket 33 in engagement with the chain 33, whereby the sprocket 33 is rotated by the chain. The chain 34 runs loosely over the sprocket 32 and idler 35, permitting the sprocket 33 secured to the swingable arm 36 to be adjusted when the distance of the roller 3| from. the center of the mandrel i6 is to be changed. The gear Gi meshes with a gear G2 and in operation is adapted to be moved slightly around the circumference of the gear G2 to shift its point of contact therewith according to the manually adjusted position of the gear G2, of the enameling roller 3|, and of the supporting and driving parts therefor. The gear G2 is secured to a shaft M which is journalled in a slidably movable frame 42.

Secured to the shaft ii at the end opposite to the end to which the gear G2 is attached, is another gear G3. The gear G3 meshes with a gear G4 secured to the shaft 43 which is journalled in the slidable frame 42, and carries the coating roller 3|.

The roller 3| is adapted to be moved toward and from the mandrel It to carry the roller into and out of contact with a collapsible tube as the tube |6a mounted on a. mandrel, regardless of the size of the tube or of the mandrel. Such adjustment of the roller is effected by the adjustable screws 52. It will be observed that as the varnish applying roller 3| is moved toward or away from the mandrel, the gear Gl resting upon the gear G2 assumed a different point of contact therewith without interrupting the rotation of the varnish applying roller 3|.

The varnish applying roller 3i is of a length less than the length of the collapsible tube idc to which it is adapted to apply a varnish coating I lit] in this instance on the upper half surface adjacent the capped end of the tube lfia.

Varnish is applied to the varnish applying roller 3| by means of a wedge or printers fountain 5| disposed adjacent a transfer roller 45 mounted on the shaft 4!, and receiving varnish from the fountain, Varnish adhering to the roller 45 is transferred to the varnish applying roller 3| and from there, to the surface of the collapsible tube on the mandrel. The varnish applying wedge 5| together with the shaft 4 I, the gear G3 and roller 45 thereon, as well as the gear G4 and the roller 3| are all adapted to be moved as a unit toward and away from the mandrel by means of the adjusting screws 52, and being adapted to be clamped in place by the set screw 53. The thickness of the film of varnish may also be controlled by the adjusting screws.

It will be seen that the roller shaft 43 may be adjusted relatively to the sprocket and gear shaft 25 so that an operative drive of the roller 3| is attained even though the gears GI and G4 are out of alignment. The wedge 5| is supplied with varnish from the varnish tank 54.

Another roller 6| herein referred to as an enamel-applying roller is adapted to apply a coating of enamel 200 to the lower half of the collapsible tube preferably abutting but not overlapping the varnish coating which had previously been applied to the upper half of the tube |6a in this instance. The enamel applying roller (ii is adapted to be adjusted in the usual manner relatively to the mandrel and is driven by a belt 62 from the main power shaft I Enamel is supplied to the enamel applying roller 6| through rollers 63 and 64 operating by a suitable geared connection.

The roller 64 is supplied by gravity with enamel from the enamel reservoir 65 through the valve 65 which may be adjusted to supply a proper quantity. The roller 64 in turn transfers enamel to the roller 63 and thereafter, to the enamel applying roller 6|. A splash shield 61 may be secured to the frame iii to prevent enamel from splashing other parts of the machine. Also, a drip pan 69 may be provided to catch any enamel that may fall from the rollers 6|, 63, and 64 or other parts of the enameling apparatus. The rollers 6|, 63 and 64 are secured respectively to the shafts ll, 12 and 13 journalled in bearings l4, l5, and 16 respectively.

In operation, the intermittently-moving turret l moves the revoluble mandrels l6 from station to station. A collapsible tube as tube |6a to be enameled is placed on one of the mandrels l6 and is moved automatically into contact with the varnish applying roller 3| where, by friction, the varnish-applying roller 3| rotates the collapsible tube |6a mounted on the revoluble mandrel i6 and applies a coating of varnish Hill to the upper half of the collapsible tube. The length of the varnish applying roller 3| is such as shown in Fig. 2 that the collapsible tube |6a is varnished to the desired length. In the specific embodiment herein described, the area of the collapsible tube that is varnished is approximately the upper half although it is understood that by modifying the dimensions of the varnish applying roller 3|, the area of the tube to be coated may also be varied. The turret I5 is then moved by the pawl and ratchet and connecting rod mechanism Hi to 23 inclusive, heretofore described, into the next station where the remaining length of the tube as tube I6?) is then brought into contact with the continuously rotating enamel-applying roller 61' which frictionally rotates the tube l6b and applies the enamel coating 200 to the remaining length of the tube, in this instance, abutting the coating of varnish I previously applied by thevarnish applying roller 3|. Thereafter, the turret I is moved another station by means of the pawl and ratchet mechanism l9 to- 23, where the tube now enameled with two different coatings I01! and 200 may be removed or transferred automatically to my printing machine hereinafter described.

The enameling machine may beadjusted to accommodate different sizes of tubes. Thus, for that purpose, the varnishapplying roller 31 may be moved toward or away from the mandrelifi by means of the swingable sprocket 33 and slidable roller mechanism carried by the adjustable frame 42 heretofore described. I

While I have shown and described a single enameling machine which isadapted toapply varnish to a part of the tube at one station and enamel to another part of the tube at another station, it will be understood that my machine is adapted to apply other types of coatings at different stations in the same machine to differentareas of a collapsible tube to prepare a two-color coating on the tube, which coating when dry is adapted to be printed as desired.

In Fig. .4, Sthere is illustrated a complete enameling, printing and drying mechanism, such as is shown in Fig. 1 of myPatent No. 1,947,171, which is adapted to print indicial3im with printing ink on top of either or both of the enamel or varnish coatings Hi0 and 20!! previously applied by the enameling machine shown'in Figs. 1 and 2. It being impractical to print fine indicia with enamel, and being equally impractical to print such indicia directl-y on. the metal of the'tube, a base of enamel or varnish is first provided on the tube, thereby making it possible to print the tube accurately with hair line characters; My

- enameling machine as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 applies one coating I09 to one part of the tube and another coating 200 to another part of the tube, all in the same machine, and my printing machine as shown in Fig. 4 prints indicia 309 accurately on top of either or both of the two coatings Hill and 290 previously applied, thus providing a three-color process in fewer operations than heretofore employed, with resultant saving in time and expense and damage in handling of tubes by reason of. the fewer'number of handling operations involved in my process. The resultant product may be the three-color tube illustrated in Fig. 5 which in thisinstance, has a coating of green enamel 209 on the lower half of the tube, an abutting but not overlapping coating of clear and transparent varnish lilfl on the upper or capped half of the tube resulting in the natural color of the tin of which the tube is made, and on top of both of said coatings I 08 and 296, the indicia 3MB of black printing ink defining the desc'riptive lettering and providing a black band covering and overlapping the juncture between the enamel and varnish coatings Hi0 and 20D previously applied.

Referring to Fig. 4, there is shown a top plan view of. an apparatus which is similar to that shown in Fig. l of my Patent No. 1,947,171 and which is adapted to successively enamel in two colors, dry, print and again dry a series .of collapsible tubes.

Said apparatus comprises a series of instrumentalities operatively connected and cooperating to produce a completely finished and printed necessary to be shown nor described in detail.v

The article produced is a three-color printed collapsible tube 50. In the description which follows, certain sub-mechanisms are briefly described by reference to corresponding parts of such mechanisms shown in Fig. l of Patent No. 1,941,171, such parts bearing corresponding reference characters and being incorporated herein by reference.

In Fig. 4, at the extreme left side, there is shown diagrammatically, the series of mandrels 95 mounted on the turret 15 previously described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. Mounted on one of. the mandrels i6 is shown one of a series of tubes such as the tube I 6a which has been enameled and varnished at different parts by my enameling machine described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 hereofr The enameled tube 16a is removed from the mandrel 16 of the enameling mechanism of Figs. 1 and 2 and transferred by a transfer mechanism 366 (as shown also in Fig. l of my Patent No. 1,947,171) to the pins of a conveyor 391 moving in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 4. The wet enameled and capped tube 16a is carried through a heated driver 303 for sumcient time to thoroughly dry the enamel or varnish whereafter the capped and enameled tube is rernn-ved from the pins of, the conveyor'3ll'l by the removal mechanism 309 and dropped into a suitable chute 3H3.

At the bottom of the chute 310 is arranged a suitable belt 419 which receives the capped'and enameled tube 16a and carries said tube in the direction of the arrow to a suitable feed plate 3| 1,

y from which the transfer mechanism 312 forwards the tube onto the mandrels of the printing mechanism .313 which prints suitable lettering and 3% which moves in the direction of. the arrow and passes into the drier 316 to dry the wet ink on the tube whereafter the tube may, if desired, be lacquered as by means of a lacquering mechanism not shown herein but described in my Patent No. 1,947,171.

The specific construction of the transferring, drying and printing mechanism is herein only briefly described, but is fully described in my Patent No. 1,947,171 to which reference is made for details.

In Fig. 5, there is shown the finished product produced by my enameling mechanism shown in Figs. 1-3 and the printing mechanism shown in Fig. 4. .Tube 5a shows the coating'of varnish I00 as it has been applied to the upper half of the tube by the varnishing roller 3|.

Tube 51) shows the abutting coating of enamel 20% as it has been applied by the enameling roller 61 to the lower half of the tube. Tube 5c shows the tube 16a having the indicia 30!! applied as by the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 upon the varnish coating H and the enamel coating 200 and'also applied in this instance to the juncture of. the two coatings I00 and200 in the form of a.

the surface of the tube as a collapsible metal tube and may be of different materials or colors and that the indicia 390 may be of lettering or designs upon either or both of the coatings I00 and 290.

It will be seen that I have provided a mechanism which operates completing automatically for providing separate enamel coatings to different parts of each tube of a series of tubes and for printing upon either or both of such enamel coatings and that the various steps are carried out in one continuous process, it being necessary only to supply enamel, varnish, and ink to the respective mechanisms.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is understood that I do not intend to be limited thereto but desire to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted by the scope of the appended claims and the state of the prior art, and that such modifications as may occur to a person skilled in the art are to be construed as being within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for preparing a collapsible metal tube for the printing of indicia thereon, means including a first roller of length less than the length of said tube for applying colored opaque coating material to the entire cylindrical surface of one part of said tube, means spaced from said first-mentioned means and including a second roller of length less than the length of said tube and of a length equal to the remaining length of the cylindrical surface of said tube for applying separate transparent coating material capable of beingimprinted with indicia to the entire cylindrical surface of the remaining part of said tube, means including a single rotatable turret for moving said tube between the aforesaid coating applying means, means for adjusting the position of said second roller relatively to a tube to be coated, and means for rotating said second roller including a plurality of gears carried by the adjusting means, and a swingable gear mounted independently of the adjusting means and in driving contact with one of the plurality of gears in all positions thereof.

2. In a machine for enameling a collapsible tube, means for rotatably supporting said tube, an enameling roller, means for supplying enamel to said roller, adjustable means for moving said roller toward and from said tube, and means including gears carried by said adjustable means and cperatively connected to said roller, and a gear engaging one of said gears and mounted on a swingable arm independently of said adjustable means for continuously rotating said roller irrespective of the position of said roller.

3. In a machine for coating collapsible tubes including a single turret carrying a plurality of revoluble tube-holding mandrels, a varnish-applying roller, means including a second roller for supplying varnish to the varnish-applying roller,

adjustable means for moving the rollers toward and from the turret, and means for rotating the varnish-app-1ying roller including a chain, a sprocket wheel driven by the chain, a shaft for the wheel, a first gear on the shaft, said sprocket wheel, shaft and first gear being swingable together as a unit, a second shaft for said second roller, a second gear at one end of said second shaft engageable with said first gear, a third gear on the other end of said second shaft, a fourth gear adapted to rotate said varnish-applying roller and engageable with the third gear whereby said first gear and the remaining gears cooperating therewith are adapted to continuously rotate said varnish-applying roller irrespective of the adjusted position of said varnish-applying roller and said remaining gears.

4. In a machine for coating collapsible tubes, a single turret, a plurality of revoluble tube-holding mandrels on said turret, means for applying varnish to the tubes on the mandrels comprising a frame adjustable toward and from the center of the turret, a varnish-receiving roller carried by the frame, a first gear mounted coaxially of the roller beyond one end thereof for rotation with the roller, a second gear mounted coaxially of and beyond the other end of the roller for rotation therewith, a varnish-applying roller receiving varnish from the receiving roller, a third gear mounted beyond one end of the applying roller and in operative engagement of the first gear, said rollers and said gears being carried by said frame, a shaft mounted independently of the frame, a fourth gear carried by the shaft and engaging said second gear, means for driving said shaft, said shaft together with said fourth gear being swingably mounted for pivotal movement as a unit about an axis other than the axis of the shaft on the adjustment of said frame, while said fourth gear remains in engagement with said second gear.

5. In a collapsible tube enameling machine, means including a reservoir for opaque coating material and transfer rollers for coating the entire cylindrical surface of part of the length of a tube, similar means for coating the remaining cylindrical surface of the tube with a transparent coating of material adhering to the tube surface and to which a printing coating adheres, means for adjusting each of said aforesaid coating means to permit the coating of tubes of various sizes, gearing carried by one of said adjusting means and operatively connected to said secondmentioned coating means to rotate said secondmentioned coating means, a gear in operative engagement with said gearing, and a swingable arm carrying said gear whereby said gear cooperates with said gearing to operate the secondmentioned coating means irrespective of the adjustment of the coating means and said gearing by said adjusting means.

WALTER PRUSSING. 

